Month: April 2026

Youth Link · Nam Cheong officially opens       
     The kick-off ceremony for “SparkFest 2026” was officiated by the Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs, Miss Alice Mak; the Deputy Director-General of the Youth Department of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, Ms Wan Ning; the Chairman of the Greater Bay Area Homeland Youth Community Foundation, Mr Daryl Ng; the Under Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs, Mr Clarence Leung; and the Commissioner for Youth, Mr Eric Chan. Representatives from the Youth Development Commission, District Councils, and representatives of youth organisations also attended.
      
     In her address, Miss Mak said that Youth Link · Nam Cheong is a physical youth interactive platform proposed by the Chief Executive in the 2024 Policy Address. It aims to provide a continuous interactive gathering point for members of the HYAB’s Youth Link. Serving as a practice base for initiatives under the Youth Development Blueprint, it seeks to strengthen the Government’s communication and collaboration with the Youth Development Commission and young people following their participation in various youth development projects.
      
     Youth Link · Nam Cheong is located at the Nam Cheong District Community Centre and adjoining Tung Chau Street Temporary Market. The first-phase facilities include multipurpose activity areas, a co-working space and quiet pods. Since the soft opening commenced in December last year, over 40 activities have been organised, attracting more than 1 900 visits and making it a gathering place for Youth Link members to interact with one another. The second-phase facilities have been completed this month, providing a cozy performance space, a music room, and a dance room. The third phase of the works is expected to be completed this year, which will provide more flexible indoor spaces, a dining area, and an outdoor multipurpose activity area.
      
     The HYAB welcomes young people aged 12 to 39 to register as Youth Link members, participate in more youth development projects, and make good use of the facilities at Youth Link · Nam Cheong to expand their networks and showcase their energy and talent.
Issued at HKT 18:46

NNNN

DH requests two licensed Chinese herbal medicine wholesalers to recall Semen Arecae exceeding limits for aflatoxins (with photo) 
     Hotlines for public enquiry concerning the recall have been set up by China Red (tel: 2857 6600) and Skyline (tel: 6222 7696).
 
     The DH will continue to investigate the case and closely monitor the recall. 
     According to the Chinese Medicine Ordinance (Cap. 549), Semen Arecae, the ripe seed of Areca catechu L, is a Schedule 2 Chm. Semen Arecae is used to kill worms, eliminate accumulation, promote “qi” circulation, promote urination and interrupt malaria.
 
     Aflatoxins are a family of heat-resistant compounds produced by the moulds Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus parasiticus and related species. Hot and humid conditions and poor storage can contribute to a higher occurrence of moulds and consequently high levels of aflatoxins in contaminated Chm. The DH advises the industry to have strict control on the temperature and humidity of the storage facilities for Chm that is susceptible to mould infestation and members of the public to properly store Chm at a dry and cool place. 
     Members of the public may visit the following website of the Chinese Medicine Regulatory Office of the DH for more information on the adverse health effects of aflatoxins and proper storage of Chm:
     www.cmro.gov.hk/files/en/useful_information/public_health/pamphlet/Herbal_Medicines_and_Aflatoxin_Eng.pdfIssued at HKT 18:30

CS leads delegation of Working Group on Planning and Construction of the University Town to conclude visit to Korea (with video) 
     In the morning, the delegation met with the Vice Mayor for Political Affairs of Global City of Incheon Metropolitan City, Mr Shin Jae-kyung, to learn about the city’s vision and planning for developing a university town, as well as its multipronged strategies to nurture top-tier talent and support the development of key sectors such as biotechnology, smart cities and advanced manufacturing.
 
     Mr Chan said that the higher education sector of Incheon is vibrant, integrating advanced technology and talent cultivation, placing it among the leading cities in Asia. The city has successfully attracted numerous international institutions to set up overseas branch campuses there, and has closely linked the university town with the surrounding business districts and innovation clusters, thereby creating a robust industry-academia-research ecosystem, which provides important references for the planning and construction of the Northern Metropolis University Town (NMUT).
 
     Afterwards, the delegation visited the Incheon Global Campus (IGC), a university town comprised of various overseas institutions operating under an “extended campus” model, where students can be awarded the same degree certificates as those conferred by the main campuses of their respective international institutions. The delegation toured the institutions on the campus and met with the Chief Executive Officer of the Incheon Global Campus Foundation, Mr Byun Ju-young, to exchange views on attracting overseas universities, fostering industry-academia-research collaboration, planning and developing shared campus facilities and nurturing talent in a multicultural context.
 
     Mr Chan said that the operating model of the IGC is innovative and highly inspiring. The successful example of the city in bringing together various overseas universities and promoting deep collaboration between academia and industry offers many valuable lessons for Hong Kong. By making references to these experiences, the development of the NMUT can better meet the needs of the times and contribute more to the development of higher education in Asia and the world. He also said that there is a great potential for collaboration between Hong Kong’s universities and their counterparts at the IGC in areas such as student exchanges and collaborative research, and that he looked forward to seeing strengthened co-operation between the two places.
 
     Mr Chan, the Secretary for Education, Dr Choi Yuk-lin, and other members of the delegation concluded their visit to Korea and returned to Hong Kong this afternoon.
Issued at HKT 18:30

NNNN

SJ calls on Supreme People’s Procuratorate in Beijing       
     In the morning, Mr Lam called on the SPP, where he met with the Prosecutor-General of the SPP, Mr Ying Yong. Mr Lam first expressed his gratitude to the SPP for supporting Hong Kong in hosting the 15th China-ASEAN Prosecutors-General Conference last year. Both sides also exchanged views on issues of mutual concern, including arranging training and exchanges on foreign-related legal issues and the common law system for Mainland prosecutors, as well as co-organising capacity-building programmes.
      
     Mr Lam and officials in his entourage then visited the AIIB and met with the President of the AIIB, Ms Zou Jiayi, to learn about the progress of the AIIB’s office establishment in Hong Kong and to explore opportunities for exchanges and collaboration between the AIIB and Hong Kong’s legal sector, and for further choosing Hong Kong’s legal services.
      
     Accompanying Mr Lam on the visit were the Director of Public Prosecutions, Ms Maggie Yang, the Law Officer (International Law), Dr James Ding, and government counsel.
      
     Mr Lam concluded his visit to Beijing and returned to Hong Kong in the afternoon.
Issued at HKT 17:55

NNNN

Immigration Department repatriates 30 Vietnamese illegal immigrants to Vietnam  
     The ImmD has been committed to promptly removing unsubstantiated non-refoulement claimants from Hong Kong to maintain effective immigration control and safeguard the public interest. Under the updated removal policy effective from December 7, 2022, the ImmD may generally proceed with the removal of a claimant whose judicial review case has been dismissed by the Court of First Instance of the High Court, thereby enhancing the efficiency of and efforts in removing unsubstantiated claimants.
 
     The ImmD will continue to explore different feasible solutions to expedite the repatriation of unsubstantiated non-refoulement claimants, and will actively co-ordinate with relevant authorities to optimise repatriation routes and the operation process. The ImmD will actively maintain close liaison with governments of major source countries of non-refoulement claimants, airline companies and other government departments to repatriate unsubstantiated non-refoulement claimants from Hong Kong as soon as practicable through all appropriate measures.
Issued at HKT 16:35

NNNN

First batch of Phase 3 services of Trade Single Window to launch on May 1      
     ROCARS will cease operation from midnight on May 1 to facilitate the system cutover work, and the TSW system is expected to launch in the early morning of the same day. During the system cutover period, cargo clearance services at land boundary control points will remain normal. Hong Kong Customs reminds the trade to plan ahead for the submission of advance cargo information (road) and the completion of the relevant bundling arrangements well in advance, so as to ensure the smooth flow of cross-boundary transportation during the system cutover period.
      
     Hong Kong Customs will continue to maintain close liaison with the trade to facilitate the smooth transition to the Phase 3 services of the TSW. For enquiries, please contact the Office of Trade Single Window Operation of Hong Kong Customs at 2117 3348 or by email to enquiry@tradesinglewindow.hkIssued at HKT 9:00

Applications for annual public niches allocation at Wo Hop Shek, Cape Collinson-San Ha and Shek Mun Columbariums to close on April 30Address: 1J Wong Nai Chung Road, Happy Valley, Hong Kong
Tel: 2570 4318
Fax: 2591 1879Address: Upper Ground Floor, 6 Cheong Hang Road, Hung Hom, Kowloon
Tel: 2365 5321
Fax: 2176 4963Address: Units 3501-3511 and 3520-3525, 35/F, Tower 1, Metroplaza, 223 Hing Fong Road, Kwai Fong, NT
Tel: 2330 5635
Fax: 2333 1716
Issued at HKT 18:30

NNNN